Jamie Oliver adds 13 ingredients to make perfect gravy for Christmas dinner

A good gravy should never be overlooked when it comes to a roast – and especially not a good Christmas dinner.

It has the power to make or break a dish and you definitely don’t want it to ruin the long-awaited dinner.

However, instead of pulling out store-bought granules, why not follow the one and only Jamie Oliver’s 13-ingredient recipe for the perfect gravy to go with your turkey this year?

The celebrity chef uses onions, carrots, celery, streaky bacon and bay leaves in his gravy rundown.

He also uses fresh sage, fresh rosemary, star anise, chicken wings or drumsticks and legs, olive oil, sherry or port – which is optional – plain flour and, finally, cranberry sauce.

With this recipe, he even shared that the gravy can be prepared well ahead of Christmas day.

His website said: “Good gravy has the power to transform, or even save, a meal.

“Open your mind to a slightly radical idea: make your gravy a few days, or even weeks in advance, simply reheating it in your turkey tray on the big day.”

Following the recipe is straightforward: after preheating the oven to 180C, 350F or gas 4, you prep all your veg, chop your bacon and then add the veg, bay leaves, sage, rosemary and star anise into a roasting tray with the chopped bacon scattered on top.

Once that’s done, it’s time to deal with the chicken.

If you’re dealing with chicken wings, Jamie Oliver said: “Break them open first and bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavour as they cook.”

You’ll want to drizzle the chicken with oil, then season it with sea salt and black pepper before cooking it for an hour or until tender.

Now, you’re ready to remove the tray from the oven, transfer everything to simmer on low heat on the hob and use a potato masher to grind everything up. For those planning to add sherry or port, this is when you’ll do it and then just continue to let everything cook for a few minutes.

The recipe is nearly over. All that’s left is to gradually stir in the flour and pour in two litres of boiling kettle water. Leave it to simmer for 30 minutes or until it’s thickened, and don’t forget to give it the occasional stir.

Once you’re all happy with it, sieve it through, let it cool down to room temperature, and then you’re good to pour it into containers and bags.

Store it in the fridge or freezer, until you’re ready to enjoy with a lovely turkey on Christmas day.